Live Review: Protest The Hero, Reclaim The Fire, Sentinel

Fledgling progressive metalcore outfit, Sentinel, are enjoying an ample crowd considering their opening slot.

Atmospheric intros such as those featured in tracks like Isolation Point provide contrast to the band’s bowel loosening bottom end, and drop tuned breakdowns ensure audience heads bob contentedly.  Vocalist Brandon Hoogendorp thanks everyone for their early attendance, his speaking voice the polar opposite of the gut-busting scream he employs for each song.

After an extended sound check, lights dim to herald Reclaim The Fire (ex-Empire). The band is taking no prisoners tonight, making the most of their support slot by putting on a tight, aggressive show.

Band member bodies flail and lengthy dreadlocks are vigorously windmilled, providing a visual that echoes the intensity of their sound. The slamming My Darkest Ruin is a highlight, and by set’s end a small circle death pit has the crowd whetting their appetite in anticipation of the main course.

“We’re Protest The fucking Hero” shoeless vocalist Rody Walker announces, as the band launches into Clarity from recent release Volition. The pit erupts as the band punches it out with the precision that has become their trademark. Guitarists Luke Hoskin and Tim Millar don’t let the temptation to follow the crowd’s physicality get to them, both lost in the concentration that their high level fretwork demands.

Following Bone Marrow, Walker takes a moment to bond with the audience, his laidback confidence not unlike that of a seasoned standup comic.  Mocking the differences between his nation and our own, Walker states that back in Canada “We don’t call each other mate, we call each other buddy. Yeah, it’s from South Park, but it’s fucking true. That stereotype is deeply rooted in truth.”

Underbite segues into Hair-Trigger, but it’s the schizophrenic opening to Bloodmeat that truly tickles the fancy of those dwelling in the sunken Hi-Fi pit. More banter follows, with Walker equating the large size of the towels provided by the venue to having finally “made it” as a band. Mist breaks up the set with its upbeat melody and sentiment, and the “Shirley” quote from Flying High ushers in C’est la Vie, maintaining humour levels when Walker isn’t speaking.

Triple whammy Sex Tapes, Plato’s Tripartite and Blindfolds Aside are pumped out effortlessly, and after the band returns for one more in the form of Sequoia Throne, Protest The Hero exit the stage, their reputation as a well-oiled machine firmly intact.